Birth by Sleep Retold
by hIkArI1001
Summary: Join four heroes on their tragic journey in the next installment in the Retold Series. Terra, Aqua, Lucem, and Ventus are Keyblade Apprentices who embark own their own personal journeys. Meet old and new friends and foes and an incredible quest that changes the fates of these four forever. Learn the secrets of the Retold Series in the oldest installment of the series.
1. Chapter 1

Beneath the Same Stars

I sat in my room, alone. It was a boring night after a long day of training, and I wanted to sleep, but I couldn't. Suddenly, someone knocked on the door.

I opened the door to find Ventus, or Ven for short, standing there. Well, he was really bouncing slightly.

"Lucem, there's a meteor shower!" Ven said excitedly.

"Oh. I'm coming," I said. Ven ran off, and I changed out of my pajamas and into my normal clothes.

My black hair, which I inherited from my father and Master, Eraqus, was tied up in a ponytail. I wore a black tank top with a white poncho-like garment over it, and a pleated plaid skirt that was white with black stripes. I wore black tights, and grey metal shoes like my father's. The poncho was fastened with the squarish heart token that was very common in the Land of Departure. On my wrists were two metal contraptions that I used to activate my armor.

I ran out the door and down the hall, finally reaching the Forecourt. Beyond that was the Mountain Trail, which had a series of rings that we used for training. I decided to kill some time by practicing. I summoned my Keyblade; my father called it the Vulpeus.

I attacked a singular ring, then I went after the rotating set of four rings. Upon hitting the rings with a Light spell, they began rotating. Light spells were a family specialty, so I was proficient with them.

I made my way to the summit. When I arrived, I saw Ven lying on the ground, sleeping.

"Boo!" said a loud voice. I jumped up and fell flat on my butt. I turned to see who had scared me. It was Aqua.

"Aqua! What the heck?!" I said.

"I thought you were on the level of Keyblade Master. Keyblade Masters don't get spooked like that," said Aqua.

"Oh, yes they do. And I'm not technically a Master yet. Not until tomorrow," I said.

"Of course. The exam. Are you really sure that you're ready?" she asked me.

"Yes. I've been training the longest. Ten years, last I checked," I said. It was the truth; I'd first summoned the Keyblade when I was five.

"Okay, then. Let's go get Ven," Aqua said, and I nodded. Aqua and I silently snuck over to where Ven was sleeping. He opened his eyes for a moment, then he closed them again. Then they flew open as he jumped up.

"Woah!" cried Ven. Aqua and I laughed.

"Gimme a break, Aqua," said Ven.

"Ven, you hopeless sleepyhead. You know you should have at least brought a blanket," said Aqua, entering something I liked to call Mommy Mode.

"But- Did I dream that place up? It really felt like I'd been there before... looking up at the stars…?" Ven asked.

Aqua laughed while she patted Ven's head. "'Cept you've always lived here with us," she said. That was what bothered me; we had to lie to Ventus. He came here with no memories, so invoking memories he didn't recall hurt him.

"Yeah... I know," said Ven. We sat down next to him on the edge of the cliff.

"Hey, guys?" Ven said.

"Hm?" Aqua and I said.

"Did you ever wonder what what stars are? Where light comes from?" Ven asked.

"Hmm... Well, they say-" Aqua began.

"That every star up there is another world," said a man's voice.

"Huh?" said the three of us. We turned and saw Terra.

"Terra," said Aqua.

"Yep, hard to believe there are so many worlds out there besides our own. The light is their hearts, and it's shining down on us like a million lanterns," said Terra.

"What? I don't get it," said Ven.

"In other words, they're just like you, Ven," said Terra.

"What does THAT mean?" asked Ven, walking over to Terra.

"You'll find out someday, I'm sure," said Terra.

"I wanna know now," said Ven.

"You're too young to know now," said Terra.

"Just tell him. I wanna know too," I said.

"You're too young to know, too," said Terra.

"Old enough to beat you," I said.

"Quit treating us like kids," said Ven. Aqua began to laugh.

"Hey, what are you laughing at?" asked Terra.

"I can't help it," said Aqua, laughing. "You two would make the weirdest brothers."

I laughed at them.

"And you're no better," she said to me. We all began to laugh.

Later, we were all sitting on the edge of the summit, looking up at the sky. The stars were really beautiful.

"Oh yeah. Terra, you, Lucem, and I have our Mark of Mastery exams tomorrow," said Aqua.

"I still think you're too young," said Terra.

"I've been training with the Keyblade longer than you have," I pointed out.

"Good point," he said.

Aqua reached into her pocket and pulled out four star-shaped charms; one orange, one green, one blue, and one white. "I made us good luck charms," said Aqua. She tossed the orange one to Terra, the green one to Ven, and the white one to me. She kept the blue one for herself.

"Here we go," said Aqua.

"I get one too?" asked Ven.

"Of course. One for each of us," said Aqua. We held out the charms in a circle.

"Yeah," said Ven.

"How did you come up with this?" I asked Aqua.

"Somewhere out there, there's this tree with star-shaped fruit... and the fruit represents an unbreakable connection. So as long as you and your friends carry good luck charms shaped like it, nothing can ever drive you apart. You'll always find your way back to each other. Technically, I think you're supposed to make them with seashells, but I did the best I could with what I had," Aqua explained.

"Oy, sometimes you are such a girl," said Terra.

"Hey, what do you mean, 'sometimes'?" Aqua asked.

"And I'm not a girl?" I asked Terra.

"So this isn't a real good luck charm?" asked Ven.

"Well, that's yet to be seen. But I did work a little magic on it," said Aqua.

"Really? What?" asked Ven.

"An unbreakable connection," said Aqua, holding up her charm.

"Wow, you are a girl," I said.

"I thought you were on my side!" Aqua said.

"Sorry, but I've changed allegiances," I said, laughing. The others joined in for a while, then the laughter died.

"Well, tomorrow's the exam. Anybody wanna spar?" said Terra.

"I can take ya!" said Ven. Terra and Ven fought, though Terra mainly blocked Ven's attacks.

"Quit goin' easy on me," said Ven. "You're not gonna win unless you stay on the offensive!"

Terra took that advice, using many powerful attacks.

"Well, that works fine if you're fighting one on one. But you need to know how to handle a crowd, too," said Aqua. She used Bubble Blaster, a Shotlock Command, on Terra.

"You could spice it up with a bit of magic," I said. I used various spells on Aqua.

"Okay, no playing around. I want to fight Lucem. I'll see if she's really as good as she claims," said Terra. Aqua and Ven began to spar, and Terra and I did too.

Terra started with a combo, which I easily dodged. I countered with my Shotlock, Shimmering Chain, which hit Terra head on. He used a surprisingly fast Sliding Dash that took me off guard, and I was flung backward. We swung at each other, our Keyblades clashing. I may have been training longer, but Terra had great physical strength. He pushed me back.

I used Shimmering Chain again, getting him off balance. Then I used Light, but he blocked. He used his own Shotlock, Dark Volley. That knocked me over, meaning that Terra won.

"It comes with experience," said Terra.

"No," I said. "It comes with huge biceps!"

He laughed. "Well, I may be stronger physically, but you're definitely good.

"Trust me, you guys are ready. You're gonna clean up at the exam tomorrow," said Ven.

"I hope it's that easy," said Terra.

"It's like the Master said. Power is born within the heart. When the time is right, you just need to look inside yourself... and you'll find it there," said Aqua.

"Do you guys really think I'm ready? I don't want to feel like I only get to be a Master because of my dad. I want to be sure that I've earned it," I said.

"Trust me, you're ready," said Terra.

"Yeah. I'm sure you're ready. I don't think that the Master would let you do this otherwise," Aqua told me.

"Thanks," I said, and we sat and looked up at the stars once again.

"Hey, I'm gonna head back," said Terra, standing up and stretching.

"Yeah. Me too!" said Ven. Aqua also got up, and I followed her lead. The four of us headed to the road that lead back down to the castle. Aqua stopped and watched a shooting star fall. She was holding her Wayfinder.

"Are you coming?" I asked her.

She nodded, running a little to catch up with us as we made our way back to the castle together.

"Together...always," said Aqua.

"I hope so," I said.

A/N: I hope you like the first chapter of BbS Retold! I know that it's a bit ridiculous to do both this and KHII Retold at the same time, but this is imperative in understanding the series as a whole. I will wait until after KHII Retold to do DDD Retold. I hope that KHIII is out by then so I can move on to it immediately. Well, see ya!


	2. Chapter 2

Mark of Mastery

Terra, Aqua, and I stood before the three thrones, and Ven was standing off to the side. In the right throne sat Master Xehanort, my father's fellow Keyblade Master. He was like an uncle to me, but he had stopped visiting years ago.

The middle throne would have belonged to my mother, if she was still alive. I missed her so much, even now, but I was going to honor her by becoming a Keyblade Master myself.

Ven looked up at Master Xehanort, and Xehanort looked back at him. Ven looked down at the floor, then he straightened up. My father got up and stood in front of Terra, Aqua, and I.

"Today you will be examined for the Mark of Mastery. Not one but three of the Keyblade's chosen stand here as candidates… and I am proud to say that one of these candidates is my own daughter. But this is not a competition nor a battle for supremacy- not a test of wills, but a test of heart. All of you may prevail, or neither. But I am sure our guest, Master Xehanort... did not travel all this way to see our youngest prospects in years fall short of the Mark. I trust you are ready,"said my father.

"Yes," said the three of us in unison.

"Then let the examination begin," said the Master. He lifted his Keyblade, summoning several orbs of light. Terra and Aqua readied themselves for a fight, and I did the same. Suddenly, the orbs of light were possessed by darkness and began acting erratically. Terra, Aqua, the Master, and I all gasped. Terra, Aqua, and I charged in to get rid of the orbs.

One of the orbs went after Ven.

"Ven!" Terra and Aqua shouted, but I knew Ven could handle it. He summoned his Keyblade, destroying the orb of light.

"Don't worry about me. You guys focus on the exam!"

"But Ven, you're in danger here! Go wait in your room," demanded Aqua.

"No way! I've been looking forward to this-seeing you three become Masters. I'm not gonna miss it now!" said Ven.

"He can take care of himself. He's been out there training just as hard as us," Terra said.

"Yeah!" said Ven.

"He can handle it. Stop selling him short!" I said.

"Stay sharp, Ven," said Aqua.

The four of us fought together to take down the orbs. They weren't extremely tough anyway. They would charge at us, but they couldn't do much else offensively.

After the orbs were taken care of, we all went back to our places.

"That was unexpected... but one must keep a still heart even in the most trying of circumstances. It was an excellent test, one I chose to let unfold. Which brings us to your next trial," said my father.

Terra, Aqua, and I went to the center of the room. We stood in a triangle with our Keyblades drawn.

"Terra, Aqua, and Lucem, the three of you will engage in combat. Remember, there are no winners-only truths, for when equal powers clash, their nature is revealed. Begin!

We began the battle. Terra swung heavily at Aqua, but she dogged his hits. I took the opportunity to strike him from behind. He turned to me and attacked, but I blocked his blow. Aqua also attacked Terra.

Terra held his hand out at his side, and I saw the darkness flicker. Terra noticed and quickly suppressed it, but the Master surely noticed it. This time I attacked Aqua, but she blocked my attack. When Terra attacked her, I looked over at the thrones. Master Xehanort wore a creepy smile.

After the exam, the two masters stood before us.

"We have deliberated and reached a decision. Terra, Aqua, Lucem, you all performed commendably. However, only Aqua and Lucem have shown the Mark of Mastery.

Aqua and I both gasped. I knew that I'd been training my whole life for it, but Terra deserved to be a Master too. Was it because…?

"Terra, you failed to keep the darkness within you sufficiently in check," said my father, confirming my suspicion.

"But, there is always next time. That is all. Aqua, Lucem as our newest Keyblade Masters, you are entitled to certain knowledge. Please wait here for further instruction," said the Master. He and Xehanort walked away.

"Hey," Aqua said to Terra. Ven ran over to us.

"Terra, I'm sorry," said Ven.

"The darkness... Where did it come from?" asked Terra. I don't think any of us knew the answer.

"Sorry...but I need some time alone," said Terra, walking off.

"Me too," I said. "I'm exhausted." I headed back to my room.

Master Xehanort walked down the stairs and stopped at two figures leaning against the wall.

"What do you make of Ventus?"

"He ain't gonna cut it. Somebody's gotta break that loser in," said the masked boy.

"Not here, you won't. I have to keep up appearances. And Lucem?" he asked the other figure.

"I can't believe she's a Master. Her Keyblade looks like a little girl with a box of crayons made it," the other figure, a girl, said.

"But it is an ancient one," said Xehanort.

"Yeah, yeah. She needs to learn a thing or two," said the girl.

Xehanort walked off and the boy put his mask on. "Of course. He just needs a little incentive to leave home."

"They both do. Let's give it to them," said the girl.

When I got back to my room, I sat down on the bed.

"How could the Master fail Terra? He controlled the darkness. He can control it," I thought out loud.

"What do you know about darkness, little girl?" asked a voice. I looked up and saw a girl. She had strange hair; it was black with streaks of silver, and the top was a mohawk. She also had a ponytail. Her eyes were ochre, and her clothing consisted of a black vest with ripped-off sleeves, a red tee, ripped black shorts, and red and black sneakers.

"Well, I know that you probably have something to do with it," I told her.

"Oh, really. Well, so does Terra," she said.

"Yeah, but-"

"But I have a mohawk and ripped clothes, so I must be bad. Right?"

"Well, are you?" I asked.

"Yeah, but that isn't my point. You need to keep up with Terra. The others, too. Or you'll fall behind. Don't you think it's strange that you get to be a Master at such a young age? It was handed to you. And unless you prove yourself, they won't take you seriously," said the girl.

"And how do you know?" I asked.

"Because it's obvious," said the girl.

"Okay, then. How do I "prove" myself?" I asked. Just then, I heard bells ringing.

"There you go," said the girl, walking off.

I ran to the throne room and saw Terra and Aqua.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"I don't know," Aqua said. "Why isn't Ven here?"

My father was standing in front of some sort of bright light. "Very well then, I will send my pupils to investigate," he said. "Yes, I understand. Farewell." The light faded and he approached us.

"That was my dear old friend Yen Sid. As you know, he is Master no more... but he still keeps a close eye on the tides of light and darkness. His counsel serves as signposts on the road we wielders of the Keyblade must walk. All the more reason, then, for concern-for he tells me the princesses of heart are in danger. Not only from the forces of darkness, as you may assume... but also from a new threat-one that feeds on negativity. Fledgling emotions that have taken monster form-Yen Sid calls them the "Unversed." As wielders of the Keyblade, you are tasked with striking down any who would upset the balance of light and darkness. The Unversed are no exception. I tried to pass this news on to Master Xehanort, but my repeated attempts to reach him have failed. I doubt there is any connection, and yet... This all troubles me," he explained.

"Master Xehanort is gone?" asked Terra. I looked at him. Why was he worried about Xehanort?

"So here we are. I need you three to get this situation under control. Eliminate the Unversed, and find Master Xehanort. I have unlocked the Lanes Between. You may use these forbidden pathways to travel between this world and countless others. The darkness looms closer than usual within these spaces, but your armor will protect you. Lastly, remember that order must be kept. You cannot tell anyone there are other worlds. Now go, and fulfill your duty."

"Yes, Master," the three of us said. Terra turned to leave, but the Master spoke.

"Terra. Consider this an opportunity. A second chance for you to change my mind."

"What?"

"You must know, I care for you like my own son. If I could have my way, I would name you Master in a second," the Master said.

"Like you did with me?" I mumbled.

"Huh?" said Aqua.

"Nothing," I replied. "Just a tickle."

The Master walked over to Terra. "But, how can I, when you are so obsessed with power? Terra, you mustn't be afraid of losing. Fear leads to obsession with power, and obsession beckons the darkness," said the Master, putting his hand on Terra's shoulder. It ticked me off when my father treated Terra like his son. He's MY dad.

"You must never forget," said the Master, removing his hand. Terra bowed slightly.

"Thank you, Master. I swear...I will not fail you again," said Terra, turning and leaving.

"Aqua, you may go. I need to speak with Lucem," said my father.

"Yes, Master," said Aqua, who also left.

"Lucem," my father said. "If, one day, my light should blink out, I would like you to be my Successor."

"Really?"

"Yes. And, if this world is ever invaded, you must be prepared to protect it."

"Of course."

"And I want you to be careful. Do not let your new rank go to your head."

"Okay, Dad."

"And I love you," he finished, hugging me and kissing my forehead.

"I love you, too," I said, returning his hug.

When we got to the forecourt, I saw Ven enter the Lanes Between.

"Wait, Ven!" cried Aqua.

"No! He mustn't!" Dad told her. "You have to bring him back!"

"Don't worry, Master!" said Aqua, flying off into the portal.

"They are leaving me!" I said. I summoned my own armor, which was mainly a peach color with gold areas and various colored pieces. I summoned my Keyblade Glider, a peach and gold windsurfing board with a rainbow colored sail.

I flew up, speeding toward the portal with the girl's words still in my head.

A/N: Hey, guys! I hope you like this chapter, because it's like the second or third longest one in this story. I really loved designing Lucem's armor and Glider, and I hope you like it too! Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

Castle of Dreams

_How dare they leave me!_ I thought. Everyone had up and flown off without me. I was already angry enough about what that girl had said; I didn't need them proving her right.

I had come across my first world. It looked like a castle with a forest and chateaus surrounding it.

I landed in a castle courtyard, where I saw a girl dressed in tattered clothes and a well-dressed man running my way.

"Hey, hey. Whats going on?" I asked them.

"A monster attacked us in the forest," said the man. "And there are more!" I turned around and saw the monsters.

"They must be the Unversed," I said. "I'll escort you to the castle."

"But you're such a young lady. Are you sure you can handle them?" the man asked.

"I'm sure," I said, summoning Vulpeus. I fought my way through the Unversed protecting the man and girl. When we got to the palace doors, I relaxed.

"I didn't introduce myself," I said. "I'm Lucem."

"I'm Cinderella," the girl said.

"And I'm his Majesty's Grand Duke," said the man.

"Lucem, I'm so grateful to you for helping us. Will you escort us to the ballroom?" Cinderella said. I could feel pure light coming from her heart. She was one of the Seven Princesses.

"Of course," I said. We entered the long hallway that led to the castle foyer, and even more Unversed appeared. I fought them off, but I could only handle so much. That's when someone cast a Thunder spell.

"Aqua?" I said when I saw Aqua. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm helping Cinderella," Aqua said. "What are you doing here?"

"Protecting the Princesses and defeating the Unversed, like the Master told me too," I said. "I don't need you to look after me. I'm a Keyblade Master too. Or maybe you don't think I deserve it."

"What? Of course you do," said Aqua.

"Then let me fight my own fights. I didn't need you to but in," I said.

"What's gotten into you?" Aqua asked me.

"Nothing. Let's just get Cinderella and the Duke to the ballroom," I said. So we fought the Unversed, and we made our way to the ballroom.

In the ballroom, the Prince was pacing back and forth. When we entered, the Prince made his way to Cinderella. The two of them hugged and then began dancing. As they did, a lady in a periwinkle cloak appeared.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"I'm Cinderella's Fairy Godmother," she said.

"A pure heart filled with light," said Aqua. "It's strange, The Master taught me darkness needs to be destroyed. But how, if not with light?"

"Oh, my dear, you're too young to know. Experience more things, and you'll find the answer. Just trust in your dreams," said the Fairy Godmother. Then she turned to me.

"My dear, your heart is full of doubt. You must be sure of yourself, or you cannot move forward."

"I'll...I'll try," I said.

"Lucem, are you coming with me?" Aqua asked.

"No. I don't think I'm done here," I told her.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. There's something here I have to do," I told her.

"Well, goodbye," she said.

When she left, I left the ballroom and went into the foyer. I saw the girl from before at the foot of the stairs, and I followed her. She went through a door into a passageway.

The passageway was full of Unversed. I fought my way through them until I reached an antechamber. But, surprise, surprise, the girl was gone.

Instead of the girl, I saw a giant Unversed terrorizing Cinderella and the Prince. The Unversed looked like a fencer, complete with foil and all. I quickly jumped down from the balcony, running toward the Unversed. It ran off, and I ran to Cinderella and the Prince.

"Are you both okay?" I asked them.

"Yes, but you must stop that monster before it harms any of my people!" said the Prince.

"I'm on it!" I said, running out of the ballroom.

I found the unversed in the courtyard, terrorizing a man, a baker, who was on his way to the palace. However, when I went to stop it, it ran off. I helped the baker up.

"Are you okay?" I asked him.

"I am now. Thank you for your help," he replied.

"I'm Lucem," I told him.

"My name is Baker," he said.

"No way. Is your name really Baker?" I asked.

"Yes. My whole family has been bakers, so I guess my parents decided to name me for the tradition," he said. I began to speak, but I heard a scream from the woods.

"Okay, Baker. It was nice to meet you, but I have a monster to chase," I said, running toward the gate.

"Be careful!" he yelled after me.

When I got into the woods, I discovered the source of the screaming. It was a girl with red hair and a pink dress.

"Oh, someone please help!" she said.

"Don't worry!" I said. I summoned Vulpeus and ran to her, helping her up.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"I'm Lucem," I said. "And you should get out of here."

"I need to go to the palace. I wanted to apologize to Cinderella," she said.

"Lucem!" I heard, and I turned and saw Baker. He was distracting the Unversed by throwing muffins at it.

"Baker! Take her to the palace! And be careful!" I said to him. The girl ran to him, and they ran toward the palace as I turned to the Unversed.

"Hey, ugly!" I shouted, getting its attention. It swung its foil, but I blocked the attack. I hopped quickly towards it, slashing at its torso. It then jabbed downward, hitting me with the foil. I flew backwards, then quickly regained my composure.

"Light!" I shouted launching an orb of light at the Unversed. It hit head on, but the creature continued attacking, unleashing a blindingly fast combo.

I hit it a few times as it finished the combo, then I kicked into a Command Style, Aurora Prism. I was surrounded by a rainbow aura, and three prisms followed me when I walked. I attacked with my newfound speed, causing the Unversed to stagger. I then used the prisms to launch a beam of light at it.

It quickly jumped back up, and I used Strike Raid, throwing my Keyblade. It hit the Unversed then returned to my hand. The Unversed ran toward me and delivered a powerful downward slash that sent me flying backwards.

I got up, using the Aurora Prism finish. The prisms limed up, and I shot a powerful ray through them, each prism magnifying the ray's power. The now multicolored ray hit the Unversed head on, destroying it.

"Yeah! NOW tell me I don't deserve to be a Keyblade Master!" I shouted. Then I used a Potion for my wounds and made my way back to the courtyard.

When I got back to the courtyard, I found Baker and the girl talking.

"Oh, Lucem! Thank goodness you're okay," said Baker, running toward me. The girl followed him.

"I never told you my name," said the girl. "My name is Anastasia."

"Did you say that you wanted to apologize to Cinderella? Why?" I asked her.

"Well, you see… Cinderella is my stepsister. Me and my mother and sister were mean to her for a long time. I felt bad, but it was how I was raised. Then, when Cinderella found the Prince, I realized that the goodness in her heart was what let her win. So I wanted to apologize for being so mean."

"That's very noble of you," said Baker. I saw Anastasia jump, and I turned around. I saw some people with a cat walking towards us. The people were girls; an older lady and a girl who looked stuck up. The cat looked pompous and mean.

"Ah, there you are Anastasia," said the older woman, Lady Tremaine.

"Yeah, there you are," said the other girl, Anastasia's sister, Drizella.

"Whatever are you doing here, you insolent girl? You and your sister will take over Cinderella's chores," said Lady Tremaine.

"No, Mother," said Anastasia. "I want to apologize to Cinderella."

"Apologize?" said Tremaine. "For what? That foolish girl disobeyed me! She ruined your chances to marry the prince!"

"Maybe I didn't want to marry the prince. Maybe I wanted to marry someone I love!" said Anastasia.

"If you want to be a fool, then be one. But I won't be expecting you at the chateau," said Tremaine.

"Then she can stay here," said a new voice. I turned and saw Cinderella.

"How dare you!" said Tremaine, lunging at Cinderella. I summoned my Keyblade, putting it between the two.

"That's not a good idea," I told Tremaine.

"Fine. Come, Drizella, Lucifer," said Tremaine, turning around.

"But Mother!" said Drizella.

"Come!" Tremaine shouted. The three left the courtyard, heading back to the chateau.

We returned to the Ballroom, where Anastasia approached Cinderella.

"Thank you for letting me stay here," said Anastasia. "And I'm very sorry for the way I treated you," said Anastasia.

"It's all right," said Cinderella. "What matters is that you've changed."

"Oh yes. Thanks to you. And Lucem. And Baker," she said. Baker walked up to her.

"And now, madam," said Baker. "May I have this dance?"

"Oh...yes!" said Anastasia, taking Baker's hand. The two danced clumsily, and I went to Cinderella.

"I've got to go now," I told her.

"Oh. Well, I hope you'll come back to visit sometime!" said Cinderella.

"I will," I said, exiting the ballroom.

When I reached the foot of the stairs, the Fairy Godmother appeared.

"So, are you still doubtful?" she asked.

"I'm not sure," I admitted. "Seeing Anastasia turn over a new leaf helped me, but our situations aren't really similar."

"Well, you've helped many people here. There is a light inside you, and it shines brightly. I believe that you can and you will believe in yourself, just like Cinderella did," the Fairy Godmother told me.

"I think you're right," I told her. She just winked at me and disappeared.

When she did, I saw the girl with the mohawk. She summoned a dark portal and stepped through it.

"Who is she?" I asked.

I had a feeling that I would get my answer soon.

A/N: I hope you guys liked this chapter. Now, the whole baker named Baker thing is because I couldn't find anything about the guy's actual name. If you don't know who he is and why I redeemed Anastasia, I based it partially off of the second and third movies. I also loved Lucem's badass moment.

I hope you guys like this, and in case you didn't know, I'll be finishing this before continuing KHII Retold so that I can have an easier writing schedule and because this story will be much shorter. Thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

Dwarf Woodlands

When I landed in the next world, I was in a clearing full of flowers. There was a girl picking them. I walked up to her, then I saw Terra.

"Lucem?" asked Terra.

"Hey, Terra," I said.

"Oh, hello," the girl said, turning to us. "Who are you?"

"Aren't you startled?" asked Terra.

"Should I be?" asked the girl.

"Should she, Terra?" I asked, eyeing him suspiciously. I looked from him to the girl, and then back at him. This girl was a Princess, too. I could feel it.

"Is something the matter?" Snow White asked us.

"Does the name Xehanort mean anything to you?" asked Terra.

"Why...why, no. I don't think I've ever heard that name," replied the girl.

"What's your name?" I asked her.

"Oh, I'm Snow White," she told me.

"Now what…?" asked Terra. Some Unversed appeared around us.

Terra and I summoned our Keyblades. Snow White screamed and ran towards the woods.

"Hey, wait! Don't go in there alone!" said Terra. He tried to follow Snow White, but the Unversed blocked his path.

"Don't worry!" I said. "I'll make sure she's okay!" I followed her into the woods.

When I found Snow White, she had fallen over. She was surrounded by Unversed.

I fought through the Unversed. When they were all defeated, I turned to face Snow White.

"Are you okay?" I asked her.

"Yes, thanks to you," she said. "But I need to get through the forest, and it's very dark and scary.

"I can help," said a voice, and I turned to see Ven standing there.

"Ventus!" I shouted happily. Then I stopped and thought. "Ven, why are you here?" I asked.

"The guy in the mask told me that I had to catch up to Terra before I lost him forever," Ven told me.

"A guy in a mask?" I asked.

"Yeah."

"He might be in league with the mohawk girl. Ven, I don't know if it's safe for you to be traveling the worlds with us," I told him.

"What? Oh, no. Being a big, bad Keyblade Master has made you just like Aqua. You don't think that anyone can do stuff except for you," Ven said.

"What? No! I want you to be safe. But if you think you can handle this, show me. If you can escort Snow White safely through the woods, then I'll leave you alone and I'll help you find Terra," I said. "I just saw him."

"Okay," said Ven, helping Snow White up. "I'll take her to the cottage in the woods."

He lead her through the forest safely. He surprised me with how much stronger he had become. He was almost kinda...cute.

I shook the thought away. I did NOT have a crush on Ven. I'm a Master; I'm not supposed to have a crush on anyone.

"Wow, Ven," I said, thankful that the darkness in the forest hid the redness in my cheeks. "You did a great job. So, I'll uphold my end of the bargain. Bring Snow White to that cottage, and I'll go get Terra."

"How can I be sure?" asked Ven.

"I'll promise on this," I said, pulling out my Wayfinder. "Our connection."

Ven smiled and nodded, leading Snow White out of the forest.

I turned, heading back to the clearing.

When I got back to the clearing, I kept walking and I arrived at a castle. I saw a man at the front gate, and I spoke to him.

"Who are you?"

"I am Prince Florian, and I am here to find the beautiful girl who was singing by the well," he told me.

"Well, I don't really know who that is," I said. "If I see anyone who seems like it might be her, I'll point her your way," I said.

"If you shall enter the castle, allow me to accompany you," said the Prince. "I may find her there."

"Okay," I said, sighing.

"But what, young lady, is your name?" he asked me.

"I'm Lucem," I told him.

We looked around the courtyard until we found an entrance into a dungeon. When we entered, the whole castle shook.

"What was that?" I asked.

"The Evil Queen must be using dark magic," said the Prince, drawing his dagger.

"You know what," I said, hoping to get Florian out of there. He had only a dagger, and I wasn't sure if he could protect himself properly. "I saw a girl running out of the palace earlier. She might be hiding in the courtyard."

"Oh, then I will go at once!" he said, leaving the dungeon.

When he left, I breathed a sigh of relief. That dude was starting to get annoying.

I made my way through the dungeon and then another, larger area before I arrived at a small chamber. In it were a mirror and an old lady.

"Oh, my. Someone came!" said the old lady. "The princess of this castle had he locked up here for no reason, and I was hoping that someone would come and save me. Will you please escort me out?"

"I guess so," I said. "But first, have you seen a man named Terra? He has brown hair and blue eyes and a sword like this," I said, summoning my Keyblade.

"Well, he was the one that the princess had capture me!" said the lady. But was it true? I though Terra could control, the darkness, but what if he couldn't?

"Well, let's go," I said, leading the old lady out of the chamber.

My first challenge was figuring out how to get the lady out of the dungeon. I ultimately had to use my Glider to lift her up onto the tall ledges she couldn't reach. After that it was smooth sailing until we reached the exit.

"Now, as a thank you for escorting me out, you can have this!" the old lady said, summoning an Unversed. It was a large bottle looking thing, and the instant it appeared, the air was filled with poison.

"How am I...gonna…" I said as the poison set in, sapping my strength. I used Light on the Unversed, and the air around it became green. When I breathed the air, I felt better.

"I have to hit it!" I said. I would use Strike Raid on the Unversed first, then I would run to the green air. Id would have to do it quickly before the green air dissipated.

Eventually, I realized that Aero could clear the purple haze temporarily as well, and used that when I didn't reach a green cloud in time.

As I did this, however, the Unversed would move faster and faster, making it harder to hit. I needed a way to defeat it. Then a thought came to my mind.

"Gather!" I shouted, drawing the Unversed in with a Magnet spell. I then used a Thunder spell, and then I just wailed away with the Keyblade. I did this until the Unversed disappeared, taking the poison with it.

"That's the LAST time I trust an old lady," I said to myself as I exited the dungeon.

I was mainly disappointed that I hadn't found Terra. The woman had obviously been lying about Terra, and if she wasn't, she deserved to be locked in a dungeon anyway. She almost killed me.

"Oh, Lucem. Did you find my love?" Florian asked me.

"No," I said. "But you should stay around here, in case she decides to show up. I've got to go now," I told him. "I've got a promise to keep."

"Ah, yes. Promises are important," said Florian.

"Yeah, I know. Did you promise to find this girl?" I asked.

"Yes," he said.

"Then don't give up," I said. "Because I know I won't."

A/N: Hey, you guys. Because I felt bad about taking so long, you guys can have this. It is pretty short, but Snow White isn't really the most interesting movie to work with. Cinderella had two sequels, so it was the easiest.

I know the timing is a bit weird, but it was weird in the actual game too, so I just switched it a bit. Ven went to Castle of Dreams first too, and this is his, Terra's, and Aqua's third world. You might not understand it, as it's hard for me too, but oh well. Thanks for reading.


	5. Chapter 5

Enchanted Dominion

The next world that I arrived in also had a castle and a forest. However, the trees were square.

"Well, that's new," I said.

"Quickly, now, or Aurora will wake up alone!" said a voice. I turned, and three small ladies flew into my face, knocking me over.

"Hey!" I said.

"Oh, we're very sorry," said the fairies. "We must return and wake everyone in that castle."

"Why are they sleeping?" I asked.

"Long ago, the witch Maleficent cursed the princess Aurora to prick her finger and die when she turned sixteen," began the green fairy.

"But I changed it so that she would only fall asleep until she was woken by true love's kiss," the blue fairy said.

"So we put the whole castle to sleep so that she would not be alone when she woke," finished the red fairy.

"I'm Flora," said the red one.

"I'm Fauna," said the green.

"And I'm Merryweather," said the blue.

"I'm Lucem," I said.

"You can help us!" said Flora. "We need your help to get rid of those terrible monsters!"

"Unversed. They can't give me a break?" I said. "Yeah. I'll help."

"Oh, thank you." said Merryweather.

"But be careful!" said Fauna. "Maleficent may still be nearby!"

"Ventus and Aqua weakened her, but she is a powerful witch!" said Merryweather.

"Wait. Ven and Aqua were here? What about Terra? Did you see a man named Terra?" I asked.

"No, I'm sorry," said Flora.

"Oh, well," I said, disheartened. "Well, let's go wake the castle."

We started on the bridge, working our way to the castle slowly. When we got to the castle, we split up.

"You guys finish waking the castle. I'm going to take a look around," I told them.

"Okay. Be careful," said Merryweather. The three fairies flew off. I first looked around the throne room, then I made my way up the stairs. There were plenty of Unversed, but it wasn't anything I couldn't handle.

I eventually found a door, and when I opened it, I saw a girl. Surprise, surprise, ANOTHER Princess.

"Oh, hello," said the princess, Aurora. "I'm Aurora."

"I'm Lucem," I said.

"Oh, it's nice to meet you. Do you know the fairies?" she asked.

"Yes," I told her.

"They said that they have a surprise for me! I'm so very excited," said Aurora.

"It's a good surprise," I told her.

She smiled, but then her smile faded. "Oh, my The fireplace!" she shouted. The fire had turned green, and then died out.

"It's Maleficent!" said Fauna, who had just flown in through the window. "She's up to something!"

"Don't worry!" I said. "I'll get her!" I ran into the fireplace, where there was a tunnel. The tunnel lead to a tower room. In the room stood, not Maleficent, but a boy. He was wearing a black bodysuit and a mask.

"Hey. Ven told me about you!" I said. "You're the guy in the mask who was badmouthing Terra!"

"Oh, you. This is the first time we've met. My name is Vanitas," he said, summoning a Keyblade.

"How do you have a Keyblade?" I asked him.

"That isn't important. I assume you've met my friend, Tenebris?" he asked me.

"I don't know who you're talking about," I told him.

"He means me, stupid," said a voice. The mohawk girl stepped out of a dark portal.

"You!" I said. "What do you want?"

"We want…," said Vanitas. "Well, we can't tell you that."

"But I do hope that you've been keeping up with those friends of yours. You're slipping, whether you know it or not," said Tenebris, summoning her own Keyblade. It was large, and black and gold. The teeth were a bat wing, and the hilt was a ram. The Keychain was a butterfly with a blue eye. The Keyblade looked like the dark version of the Vulpeus.

"Maybe we should test you out," said Vanitas.

"But not here. It isn't time yet," said Tenebris. "So, meet us in the forest, by the lake. I'll see if you deserve that spiffy new title of yours." The two disappeared into a dark portal.

What was going on? Who were these people?

"Was it Maleficent?" asked Flora when I entered Aurora's room.

"No, it was something else. A lure, for me," I told them.

"Oh. Well, I'm very glad you're okay," said Aurora.

"Me too. When are you guys gonna give Aurora her surprise?" I asked the fairies.

"Oh, yes. Right now, in fact," said Fauna.

"Oh, I'm so excited," said Aurora.

"But first, we made you this," said Merryweather, showing Aurora a pink dress. "Oh, why is it pink?"

"Because I said so," said Flora.

"Well, I think it should be blue," said Merryweather, turning it blue.

"No, pink," said Flora, turning it back.

"Oh, what do you know?" said Merryweather, making it blue again.

"I know that it should be pink!" said Flora, making it pink again.

"Oh, you pompous thing!" said Merryweather, turning Flora's clothes blue.

"Why, you…," said Flora, turning Merryweather's clothes pink.

"Girls, girls. please. This is about Aurora. Let her pick," said Fauna.

"I think you should compromise. Make it purple," said Aurora.

"Okay then," said Flora, and she and Merryweather turned the dress purple.

"I like purple," I said.

"Yes. it's lovely," said Aurora. "Thank you all. You too, Lucem."

"Oh, no problem," I told her. Although I was nervous about my upcoming battle, I wouldn't ruin this for Aurora.

"Let's go downstairs."

Not only had the fairies woken up everyone, they had also planned a large ball to celebrate Aurora's awakening.

"Oh, my. It's wonderful!" said Aurora. She ran to the thrones to hug her parents.

"You did a good job," I told the fairies.

"We couldn't have if not for your help," said Flora.

"No problem," I said. I stood off to the side and watched Aurora dance with the prince. Suddenly, Unversed appeared on the dancefloor.

"Really, now?" I asked, summoning Vulpeus and beginning to fight of the Unversed. I followed them out of the castle and across the bridge.

I continued following them until I reached the lake.

"Nice. You made it," said Tenebris, summoning her Keyblade. "Are you ready?"

"Who are you?" I asked her.

"That's none of your business," she said, swinging her Keyblade at me.

I blocked the attack, responding with a swing of my own. Each time one of us swung, the other blocked. There was no winning.

"Light!" I cried, using a light spell.

"Darkness!" she cried, sending bolts of darkness flying my way. I dodged them, and she rushed toward me, Keyblade drawn. She swung down powerfully, but I was able to block the attack. I pushed her away, attacking her with a flurry of blows. She blocked most, but a few hit her.

"Wow. You DO suck," said Tenebris. She swung her Keyblade, knocking mine away and throwing me back. She raised her Keyblade, prepared to deliver the final blow. But I refused to lose. I was a Master.

I jumped up quickly and slid toward Vulpeus, picking it up. I threw it at her, hitting her head on. She fell back, and I summoned Vulpeus back to my hand.

"NOW who sucks?" I said. Suddenly, Tenebris jumped back up.

"You do," she said. "Still." She charged at me, continuing her attack. She swung at me, but I blocked it again. Suddenly, Vanitas stepped through a portal.

"Time to go," he said.

"Oh, man," said Tenebris. "Looks like we'll have to schedule another playdate."

"Sounds good," I said boldly.

"Bye-bye," said Tenebris, following Vanitas through the portal

As Tenebris disappeared through the portal, my mind wandered. Who is she, and who is Vanitas, and what do they want from me? And where is Terra?

"Well, I won't find them by staying here," I said, summoning my armor and a portal to the Lanes Between, flying off in search of another world.

A/N: So, what do you think? Do you like Lucem and Tenebris? Fun fact: Ventus+Vanitas=13 letters, Terra+Xehanort=13 letters, Lucem+Tenebris=13 letters. I am so glad when things I don't even notice work out in my favor.

Next time, we're headed to Radiant Garden, and I think you know what's going to happen there! See you next time!


	6. Chapter 6

Radiant Garden: Feng

As I flew through the Lanes Between, I suddenly felt a warm, bright light. It was a beautiful world with a castle at its center. I decided to land there.

I landed in a sort of flower garden with a monument of sorts at the center. It appeared to be on the outskirts of the world. There, I saw a small group of people. There were two girls, a boy, and a woman in a lab coat. One of the girls was dressed in a simple black and white sundress. There was a bow on the chest. She had two platinum blonde pigtails and vivid blue eyes like mine. The other girl wore a white and purple dress, and she had red hair and vivid blue eyes, too. The boy had silver hair and also wore a lab coat, but I couldn't see his eyes. He was reading while the others were picking flowers.

"Ienzo, look at this!" said the blonde girl, showing the boy a flower. The flower was both purple AND white.

"What a strange anomaly! May I have this flower, Feng?" asked Ienzo.

"Okay!" said Feng, smiling. Ienzo pressed the flower in his book and went back to reading.

"Oh, hello," said the woman, who had spotted me. She had brown hair and black eyes, and she wore glasses.

"Hi," I told her. "I'm Lucem."

"Oh, it's nice to meet you. I'm Reina. Feng, the blonde girl, is my daughter, and the other girl is her friend Kairi. This is my adopted son, Ienzo," she said, introducing everyone.

"Hi," said Feng. Kairi waved, and Ienzo didn't even look up.

"It's nice to meet you," I told them.

"Do you like to play fight?" asked Feng. "I like to play fight, but Kairi is bad at it, and Ienzo doesn't like to. I normally do with my friends Shadi and Shui, but they're busy with something."

"Hey!" said Kairi. "I'm not a tomboy, okay!"

"So. You could still be good at fighting," Feng said.

"Well, Feng, I think I'm a little too old to fight you. But I could give you some pointers if you want," I said.

"Yeah!" said Feng excitedly. She picked up a stick, and I summoned Vulpeus.

"Cool!" she said. "And so pretty!"

"Okay, so when you hold a blade…"

After a while, Feng had improved a lot. I thought of something.

_They say that a Master, or someone on the rank of a Master, can pass their Keyblade on. Maybe I should pass my Keyblade on to Feng, so that she can protect all these people when they need her._

"Feng," I said. "Would you like to have a sword like mine one day?"

"Yes!" said Feng.

"Okay then," I said. "Then put your hand on the handle." She did as I said.

I recalled the words:

"In your hand, take this Key. So long as you have the makings, then through this simple act of taking, its wielder you shall one day be. And you will find me, friend-no ocean will contain you then. No more borders around, or below, or above, so long as you champion the ones you love."

The Keyblade glowed, letting me know that it had worked. I dismissed Vulpeus.

"When can I use it?" Feng asked.

"When you get older, and someone is in danger, then you can use it. And you have to keep this a secret," I told her. She nodded once.

Unversed suddenly appeared around the rest of the group. Feng attempted to summon the Keyblade, but she couldn't.

"You're too young. I'll handle the Unversed. Go with your mom and the others," I told her. She ran to the others, and they fled.

I quickly took out the Unversed, but then three times as many appeared. There was no way I could take on this many at once.

"Lemme help!" said a voice, and an anthropomorphic rabbit came in, Keyblade drawn.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, at your service," he said, removing his ears and tipping them like a hat.

"Well, help is help," I said, and I fought alongside the rabbit. He was obviously on the level of Master as well, taking out the Unversed with ease. Soon, they were all dealt with.

"So, who are you?" I asked Oswald.

"I'm a Keyblade Master. I trained under Master Yen Sid. My little brother is also training to become a Master, but he ran off with the Master's Star Shard. I'm trying to track him down, but I'm not having much luck."

"Well, then, I'll keep an eye out for him. If I see him, I'll tell him," I assured Oswald. I then saw a giant Unversed that looked like wings fly past.

"Gotta go, Oswald," I said, chasing the Unversed into town.

When I reached the center of town, I was stopped when I saw two boys being harassed by an Unversed.

"I'll handle this!" I said.

"Oh, yeah? Check this!" said one of the boys, who was holding frisbees that had a design of an impish flame.

"What is that?" I asked.

"Weaponry," he said.

"Oh, yeah? Check this," I said, summoning Vulpeus. I defeated the Unversed.

"Hey, just like Ven's," said the boy.

"Wait, you know Ven?" I asked.

"Yeah. I was on the way to the castle when we met," said the boy. "The name's Lea. Got it memorized?"

"Oh, I couldn't forget you if I wanted to," I said.

"Heyyy!" said Lea.

"Ah, I see you share my opinion about my friend here," said the other boy. "I'm Isa."

"I'm Lucem." I said. "Umm...do you guys know a little girl named Feng?"

"Yeah. She's a little sweetie," said Lea.

"She's the princess of this whole place," said Isa.

"What? No way!" I said.

"Her dad's Ansem the Wise, the king," said Lea.

"Well, I've got a favor to ask. Can you guys protect her? Watch over her?" I asked.

"Of course. Cause we're friends now. And friendship is important," said Lea.

"Thank you," I said. Then I looked up and saw the Unversed flying overhead.

"I gotta go! See ya!" I told them.

"You have a crush on her, don't you?" asked Isa.

"No," said Lea, blushing.

I was now in an area with a house and a shop. There was an old man in a pointed hat standing outside.

"Well, well. So many people today," said the man.

"Hello. I'm Lucem," I said.

"I'm Merlin. I'm sure you'll want to see the book as well," said Merlin.

"What book?" I asked.

"The book that allows it's reader to unlock their hidden power!" said Merlin.

"Oh," I said. The maybe I will read it," I said.

"Then, by all means, come in," said Merlin. He lead me into the cluttered house, and pointed me to the book's location. I opened it, and I was engulfed by a bright light. When the light did, I did feel more powerful.

"Thank you," I told Merlin.

"Why, you're very welcome," said Merlin. I left to continue chasing the giant Unversed.

I eventually chased the Unversed to a large reactor where three other people were also running up.

"Terra! Aqua! Ven! I finally caught up to you all!" I said.

"Lucem!" said Ven.

Just then the Unversed flew in, along with three others. They came together to form one larger Unversed that resembled a winged suit of armor: the Unity Armor.

We began the battle. Aqua moved across the battlefield quickly, using spell after spell. Terra was able to hit the Unversed hard. Ven moved around quickly, attacking with speed. And I was doing a mix of everything.

As we fought the armor, we realized just how tough it was. The four pieces could separate and reassemble at will. When they were separated, they could do things like shoot lasers. It was not an easy battle.

Eventually, we had destroyed all of the pieces, leaving only the head and torso.

"Terra!" cried Aqua.

"Ven! Now!" cried Terra.

"Lucem! C'mon!" said Ven.

"Got it!" I said.

All four of us jumped into the air. Aqua attacked first, followed by Terra and Ven attacking the giant Unversed together. I delivered the final blow, and the Unversed faded away.

"Got 'im," said Terra.

"Well, yeah. It's us," I said.

"We make a good team," said Aqua.

"Sure do. Oh yeah! I got you these tickets," said Ven, pulling out said tickets.

"For what?" asked Terra.

"Lifetime passes to Disney Town," said Ven. "He said to-He said to take two grown-ups. An someone I'm sweet on." Ven was blushing, and so was I.

"You mean us?" said Aqua. "And Lucem?" Aqua and Terra chuckled.

"Stop it!" Ven and I said, our faces reddening even more.

"Listen to me, Ven...We need to get you home-"

"It's okay, Aqua. Trust me, that guy in the mask is history. He'll never bad-mouth Terra again," said Ven.

"You saw the boy in the mask?" asked Terra, grabbing Ven.

"Y-yes?" said Ven.

"You saw Vanitas again?" I asked.

"You've seen him too?" Terra asked me.

"Yeah. And a girl with a mohawk named Tenebris," I said.

"Tenebris...Vanitas...Ven. You let Aqua take you home," said Terra.

"No way. I wanna go with you guys," said Ven.

"Yeah," I added. "Ven beat Vanitas. He can handle this."

"You go home too," he told me.

"No way!" I said. "I'm a Master, not you. And I'm the Successor. You can't tell me what to do; I'm your superior."

"I don't care. We have a dangerous task ahead of us. I don't want you to get hurt," Terra said.

"This is what she meant. You don't think that I deserve to be a Master. That it was handed to me. Well, you're just jealous," I said.

"And what is this dangerous task, Terra? It doesn't sound like what the Master told you to do," said Aqua.

"It might be a different route, but I'm fighting the darkness. And I'm not jealous," Terra said.

"I'm not so sure you have been. I've been to the same worlds as you and I've seen what you've done. You shouldn't put yourself so close to the darkness," said Terra.

"Listen to yourself, Aqua. Terra would never-"

"Oh, yes he would." I said. "I've seen some of the things he's done too."

"You mean you've been spying on me? Is that what he said to do? The Master's orders?"

"He was only-"

For a few moments, everyone was silent.

"Aqua…," said Ven.

"I get it," said Terra, turning to leave.

"Terra!" said Ven.

Terra stopped. "Just stay put! I'm on my own now, all right?"

"Terra, please! Listen! The Master has no reason to distrust you, really! He was just worried," said Aqua. Terra ignored her, walking off.

"You're awful, Aqua," said Ven.

"And what about you all?" I said. "You all think that I only became a Master because of my father. None of you think I'm good enough! So I'm done with you. You'll see that you were wrong!" I ran off.

I heard Ventus calling my name, but I didn't look back.

I sat in front of the castle gates, crying. I hadn't meant to say what I said, but it just rushed out. I decided to go find my friends and apologize.

When I got up, I heard a scream coming from the castle doors. I ran to them and saw Feng, along with two other kids, being attacked by Tenebris.

"You!" I shouted. "Leave them alone!"

"Oh, it's you again. Want me to knock me on your ass again?" said Tenebris.

"Hey!" I said, summoning Vulpeus.

"Okay. Time for round two," said Tenebris, summoning her Keyblade, which I had taken to calling the End of Pain, because it looked like it could end all your pain...and your life.

She once again rushed at me, and I blocked it. I used Shimmering Chain, hitting Tenebris multiple times with the chains. She hopped up, swinging her Keyblade at me. She was off her game; that much was certain.

I used Lightra, but she blocked it. I followed up with a second Lightra, which hit her. I kicked into Aurora Prism, attacking with a combo. She parred and retaliated by transforming her Keyblade into a whip, swinging it all around. It hit me multiple times, knocking me back.

I recovered in midair, retaliating with the Aurora Prism finish. The ray knocked her back, and she stayed down.

I went over to her, but then a dark portal appeared. Vanitas stepped out, Keyblade drawn.

"You're done. It's time to go," Vanitas told and Tenebris disappeared into the darkness.

I ran over to the kids.

"Lucem, you saved us!" said Feng.

"So, you're Lucem," said the young boy. He had sandy blonde hair and amber eyes like Tenebris and Xehanort. "We honestly didn't think Feng was telling the truth."

"Wow, you are pretty. Just like Feng said," said the other girl, who had blue hair and blue eyes.

"Lucem, this is Shadi and Shui," said Feng.

"It's nice to meet you," said Shadi.

"Hi!" said Shui.

"We were gonna go spar!" said Feng.

"She said you taught her some things. I want to see if it's true," said Shadi.

"Okay then," I said. "I'll leave you guys to it."

"You aren't going to stay and watch?" said Feng, disappointed.

"I've got to go find something," I said. I took out my Wayfinder.

"Oh. Well, you should come back sometime!" said Feng. "I'd love to fight you someday."

"Sure thing," I said, smiling.

When I was back in the Lanes Between, I thought of how I would find my friends.

Just then, I thought of something. I reached into my pocket and pulled out the Disney Town Pass. They had them too, right? So they would go there.

"I'm coming, guys."

A/N: And so, we have this! One of my favorite chapters to write, ever. I love little Feng!

Other than that, we got some emotion going on. The whole "Lea has a crush on Lucem" thing is important later. You'll see how in a while. Also, in case you didn't know, Shen, Feng's Nobody(we met her in the part of KHII Retold that was already posted) looks like Lucem just like Roxas looks like Ventus. Why is still a mystery, but you'll see soon. Thanks for reading!


	7. Chapter 7

Cookies!

"So, this is Disney Town," I said, looking around. I was standing in front of a large building said "Bakery" above the door. I tried to find someone to help me, and I spotted someone in a black and purple suit coming toward me.

"Oh, hello," I said. "Can you help me with something?"

"Oh, you need help? Well, I'll introduce myself!" he said. "The rogue racer! Captain Dark!"

"If you're a racer, shouldn't you be at the raceway? Why are you here?" I asked.

"Because I'm taking a break to get some cookies!" said Captain Dark, pointing to the bakery. As he did, and anthropomorphic cow ran out of the bakery.

"Someone help!" said the cow. "Oh, Pete. You like helping people. Can you help me?"

"Well, I'm helpin' this little lady here," said Captain Dark, or Pete.

"Actually, I was looking for my friends, but she probably needs your help more than I do," I told him.

"Umm...well...Oh, wait! I hear someone calling for me!" said Pete. He ran over to his cart and drove off.

"Oh, no. What will I do?" said the cow.

"What's wrong? Maybe I can help," I said.

"Well, the machine that stamps out the cookies is broken, and I'm too slow to hand press them!" she said.

"Well, I'll try to stamp out the cookies," I said.

"Oh, you will? Thank you," said the cow, holding out her hand. "My name is Clarabelle Cow," she said.

"I'm Lucem," I said, shaking her hand. She lead me into the bakery.

"Well, all you have to do is push each of these cookie cutters down as the dough rolls under it. Got it?" said Clarabelle.

"I think so," I said.

"Well, then, try it out!" said Clarabelle, starting the machine. As the sheets of dough rolled down the conveyor belt, I did as Clarabelle instructed, working quickly.

Eventually, we had a lot of cookies baking.

"Thank you so much!" said Clarabelle. "Now we have plenty of cookies for the Dream Festival!"

"Wait, what's the Dream Festival?" I asked.

"You don't know?" asked Clarabelle. "The Dream Festival is going on right now! All over town, people are hosting fun events, and there's ice cream and cookies and all kinds of yummy treats. And at the apex of the festival is the Million Dreams Award. You see, everyone votes for the citizen they think has been the most helpful. Whoever gets the most votes wins the award!"

"Wow, sound exciting," I said. Then came a loud ruckus from outside. Clarabelle and I ran out, and we saw a anthropomorphic mouse in a pink dress and a duck in a purple dress surrounded by Unversed.

"Really, here too!?" i shouted, summoning the Keyblade. I quickly took out all the Unversed.

"Are you okay?" I asked the two.

"Yes. Thank you," said the mouse. "I am Queen Minnie Mouse."

"And I'm Daisy," said the duck.

"We're here to announce the winner of the Million Dreams Award," explained the queen.

"Okay," I said. "Let me escort you to the stage."

"Oh, thank you!" said Minnie. We walked to the stage.

"Who do you think's gonna win this year's Million Dreams Award?" asked Horace Horsecollar, another resident of Disney Town.

"Boy oh boy! I hope it's the guy I voted for!" said Chip.

"I voted for him, too!" said Dale, Chip's brother.

"Now that we got so much business at the shop, maybe we'll be number one!" said Huey, one of three ducks that ran the Ice Cream Stand.

"Wow, Unca Scrooge sure would be proud of us if we actually won!" said Dewey, Huey's brother.

"Yeah, an I bet Unca Donald would be pretty surprised, too," said Louie, the final duckling.

"I really hope the person I voted for wins. They really deserve it!" said Clarabelle.

"Hello, everyone, and thank you for waiting," said Minnie as she and Daisy took the stage.

"Now, it's time to begin the main event of our Dream Festival-the Million Dreams Award presentation!" said Minnie.

Suddenly, Pete showed up. This time, he was wearing another outfit, this one red, white, and gold.

"Heh! Just skip to the part where you say my name. This is a shoo-in!" said Pete.

"Oh, how very exciting! This year we have multiple winners. The Million Dream Award goes to... Ventus, Aqua, Terra, and Lucem. All four of you!" announced Minnie. Everyone cheered except for Pete.

"You mean Ven, Aqua, and Terra were here?" I asked.

"Whaddaya mean!?" said Pete, jumping onto the stage.

"There's gotta be a mistake. Everybody voted for Captain Justice. I made sure! Now, go on, tell her!" demanded Pete, but everyone remained silent.

"Better try the other one…," said Pete, running off of the stage. When he came back, he was dressed in his Captain Dark outfit.

"The rogue racer, Captain Dark!" Pete announced everyone turned their back to him.

"Pete, we counted the votes very carefully. Ventus, Aqua,Terra, and Lucem won. Oh, Pete, I think you tried to do something good, but you were doing it for the wrong reasons, and you went about it the wrong way. Still, a couple of citizens must have thought you had goodness in you, because you actually got a few votes. They knew you were looking out for them," said Minnie. She had a point. Maybe that was what was going on with Terra.

"Big whoop! I don't need their lousy votes. Just cough up my prize!" said Pete, reaching out to grab Minnie.

"Pete! They voted for you because they believe in you and care about you. How could you look down on that? I've tried to forgive a lot of things you've done, but this is too much. Now you've finally crossed the line," said Minnie.

"Like that matters to me. Besides, what are you gonna do about it?" said Pete.

"Ha! I'm going to let you cool off for a while. Guards!" said Minnie. A line of five or six enchanted brooms walked up to Pete.

"W-wait, what?" said Pete.

The brooms surrounded Pete, picking him up off the ground.

"Hey! Let me go! Put me down! What!? You can't-no-hey, easy!" said Pete as the brooms carried him off.

"Now, shall we continue the ceremony? Would the three winners, Ventus, Aqua, Terra, and Lucem please come up and join me on the stage?" said Minnie. I looked for the others through the crowd, but I didn't see them. I walked up onto the stage alone.

"Oh dear, it looks like our other two winners couldn't make it here to be with us today," said Minnie, frowning.

"I must have just missed them," I said, hanging my head.

Perhaps you would accept the award on their behalf. After all, you've been so kind to so many here at the Dream Festival. So now, I hereby present the Million Dreams Award...as a token of how much you matter to us. Congratulations!" said Minnie. Daisy handed me a trophy that was shaped like Minnie's head. Everyone cheered.

"Thanks, you guys," I said.

"And as an extra treat, we've created something special-an ice cream flavor just for you. Cookie Crumble Ice Cream!" said Minnie, handing me a cone of ice cream. It was vanilla, and it had several scoops of ice cream stacked on top of each other precariously. It was drizzled with hot chocolate and cashews, and it had cookie chunks sticking out of it all over the place. It looked zany.

"Oh my, I wish I had my own ice cream flavor!" said Horace.

"What's it taste like?" asked Chip.

"Go on, try it!" said Dale.

"I helped with the cookies," boasted Clarabelle.

I bit the ice cream.

"What do you think?" asked Minnie.

"Delicious! You couldn't have picked a better flavor," I told them. "It tastes like heaven."

"We're all very glad you're enjoying it," Minnie said.

"I was wondering…" I began. "Can everyone have some?"

"Why, of course!" said Minnie. "How generous of you." Minnie clapped her hands, and the brooms brought out more ice cream cones, giving one to everybody.

"Yum!" said Huey.

"Tastes good!" said Dewey.

"Thanks, Lucem!" said Louie.

Everyone cheered again.

Pete was all alone. He didn't even know where he was.

"Who does she think she is, dumpin' me in a place like this? Well, I'll just bust outta here and-" said Pete, but he was cut off.

"Quiet, fool! You do not possess that kind of power," said a voice.

"Who...who's there? Show yourself!" demanded Pete.

"That is enough! Stop your sniveling and heed my words," said the voice. It was a woman, and she sounded mean.

"Um...okay," said Pete.

"If you do exactly as I say, I may decide to release you from this prison," said the lady. That sounded good to Pete.

"Really!?" he said. "Oh, then you can count on me. Just get me outta here, and you can tell me what to do!" said Pete.

"A very wise choice indeed. Now...proceed," said the voice, opening a corridor of darkness. "With your help, soon every world in existence will all be mine!" said the voice as Pete walked into the portal.

A/N: This chapter was a toughie. I had to think of something for Lucem to do that could be a minigame if this were canon and actually in the game. The cookie cutting would be like a timing mini-game. You push the D-Pad buttons in a certain order quickly to get points.

Other than that, I also had to come up with her ice cream flavor. I knew it would involve cookies. I also wanted it to be crazy.

Well, I'll see you in the next chapter. It'll be a Final Fantasy love letter. Bye!


	8. Chapter 8

Departing

Kuja had landed in a new place. Garland would have destroyed him if he would have stayed. He would have to find a power strong enough to destroy Garland.

But how?

"Hey!" said the goat-man who had approached Kuja from behind. "You here to compete in the Games?"

"Hmmm...yes," said Kuja, smiling devilishly.

The world I had landed in this time was much smaller than most of the others I had seen. I was in an area with two large gold warrior statues. There were lit braziers all over the area, and a door directly in front of me.

Unversed suddenly appeared all around me.

"Seriously, more Unversed!?" I said. I summoned Vulpeus, easily defeating all of the Unversed. It was then that I noticed someone watching me.

It was a man; he looked around twenty years old. He had silver hair and light blue eyes, and he was very pale. He wore a black jacket with billowy white sleeves and a grey shirt underneath, and baggy black pants. His shoes were also black and pointy with buckles.

"Hello, I'm Kuja," he said. "May I see that weapon of yours?" I held it up to him. He examined it carefully, then stood up.

"It's satisfactory. Give it to me," he said.

"What!? No!" I said.

"I need it to do something important," he said.

"Well, you can't even hold it," I told him, holding it out. He took it, but it vanished from his hand and reappeared in mine.

"Oh, well you should enter the Games," he said. "If I beat you, it'll realize that I'm stronger than you, and I can have it."

"Yeah, good luck with that," I said. "But maybe I will enter the Games." After all, Terra or Aqua or even Ventus could have entered.

"Good. That's very good news," said the man. "My name is Kuja."

"I'm Lucem," I said.

"It was nice to meet you," he said, staring at Vulpeus. He walked off.

"Where do these people come from?" I asked. I walked forward and opened the door, entering the Coliseum lobby. There were two people standing in front of a satyr.

"C'mon, Phil! Let me the Games," said the boy. He had blonde hair pulled into a small ponytail. He wore a short blue vest with a white shirt underneath, blue pants, a tan belt, green gloves, and blue fabric cuffs on his wrists. He also had a dagger in a brown sheath on his hip, and...a monkey tail.

He had a girl of about twelve with him. She had black hair, and she was wearing a long, sleeveless blue duster with small angel wings on the back, and matching arm warmers. She also wore a black tank top and a button up skirt, black shorts with zippers, and black boots with silver buckles. She had a dangerous-looking weapon on her wrist.

"Look, I know you kids are all tough, but you can't compete! It's too dangerous," said the satyr.

"Fine!" said the girl. "Come on, Zidane! We don't need these stupid Games anyway!" The little girl pulled the boy, Zidane, away, running right into me.

"Oof," she said. "Sorry."

"That's all right," I said.

"I hope you're not planning to enter the Games. He won't let you," said the little girl. The boy then stepped in front of her.

"Hello. I'm Zidane, but you can call me 'soulmate'," said Zidane.

"I think I'll call you 'too young for me'," I told him.

"Hey! I'm sixteen!" he said.

"Anyway," said Rinoa, pushing Zidane aside. "I'm Rinoa."

"I'm Lucem," I said. "And maybe I can enter, since I actually look my age."

"Well, could you get him to let us in?" asked Rinoa.

"Sure," I told her, walking up to the satyr.

"Lemme guess; you want to enter the Games," said the satyr. "Well, I've got two words for you: there's no way."

"No way!" I said. "Let me-let US-prove that we've got what it takes," I said. "Put us to the test."

"Oh, all right. The name's Phil," the satyr said.

"Set it up, Phil. And Zidane and Rinoa get to do it too," I said.

"She's pretty AND strong," said Zidane dreamily.

"Knock it off, Zidane," said Rinoa. "She's already got someone special."

"How can you tell?" I asked.

"Just intuition," said Rinoa, winking.

"Fine then, I've set up a training scenario," said Phil. "Break all the urns within the time limit, and ya win. You're goin' first, little lady," he told me.

"All right," I said, cracking my knuckles. I entered the coliseum, and saw the urns floating.

"Piece of cake," I said. I slid around the battlefield quickly, taking out five urns. Then I used Lightga, taking out another seven urns. Finally, I used a Magnega and Tundaga combo, taking out the remaining thirteen.

"How was that?" I said. Phil, Rinoa, and Zidane were all looking at me.

"Kid, I've got two words for ya: new record! You did it in eight seconds!" said Phil.

"You were great!" said Rinoa.

"Impressive," said Zidane.

"Okay, Rinoa. Your turn," I said. Zidane was looking at me with puppy-dog eyes. It was kinda creepy.

Rinoa's weapon was a projectile weapon called a Blaster Edge. It worked like a boomerang, shooting forward and returning to the cuff on her wrist. Using this weapon, Rinoa was able to take out many urns quickly. She was done in 14 seconds.

Next up was Zidane. He was able to move quickly, using his, not one, but two, daggers. He was also able to use his tail. He was done in 12 seconds.

"Dang it!" said Zidane. "Why can't we catch up to you?"

"I've had years of practice," I said.

"Well, a deal's a deal. You all achieved the target time, so you're in," said Phil.

"Yay!" said Rinoa, jumping up and down. I was happy too. I may be able to see my friends after all.

"Hey Phil," I said. "Have you seen anyone named Ventus? Or Aqua or Terra?" I said.

"Actually, I've seen all of them," said Phil. "Terra and Aqua won the Games."

"What?! Are they still here somewhere?" I asked.

"No. I'm sorry, but I haven't seen them in a good minute," said Phil sadly.

"Oh," I said.

"Don't worry," said Rinoa. "You'll find them."

"And if not, you've always got us," said Zidane, but Rinoa elbowed him in the stomach.

"Well, gear up. The Games are coming up," said Phil.

"Well, good luck guys," I said. They nodded.

"You too," they said.

"So, what's in it for me?" Kuja asked the man. He had flames for hair.

"Well, you want enough power to destroy this Garland person, right?" asked the god, Hades. "So enter the Games for me. Get to the finals, and the little girl's key is yours. Then you take care of Hercules for me, and I'll help ya with Garland. Deal?" Hades held out his hand.

"Deal," said Kuja, shaking it.

There wasn't much to the Games. I just had to defeat a whole bunch of Unversed, which was child's play to me. When I was done, I went back into the lobby, where I found Rinoa, Zidane, and Phil.

"Whoa! That guy kicked our butts!" said Rinoa.

"Why couldn't I beat him?" said Zidane. He was the most serious I'd ever seen him.

"Who?" I asked.

"Kuja," said Zidane. "He's from back home. It's… a long story. But you have to beat him in the finals."

"Kuja! I met him! He wanted my Keyblade!" I said.

"Now you _have _to take him out!" said Zidane.

"Well, well. If it isn't a baby keyslinger," said a new voice. I turned and saw a guy with grey skin and blue flames for hair.

"Whaddaya want, Hades?" said Phil.

"I just wanna see the little girl who's been cutting through the Games like they're the Gordian Knot," said Hades.

"Well, if you stir up trouble-" began Phil.

"Don't get yourself riled up, fuzzbutt," said Hades. "I'm just here to see the finals."

"Are you ready to fight?" Phil asked me.

"Yep," I said. Phil lead me out into the arena, where Kuja stood. Suddenly, Kuja began to glow.

"What is this… power?" asked Kuja. He floated into the air, glowing with red energy. Hades laughed maniacally.

"Now the show begins!" said Hades.

"I've done it!" said Kuja. "I've obtained true power!" He looked different now. His clothes were similar, but they were now red. He now had three feathers in his hair, and both the feathers and the hair were red.

"I'll claim that weapon of yours for my own now!" said Kuja, blasting me with a powerful Mega Flare. I used a Barrier to block the spell, then I rushed forward. I slashed at him, hitting his raised arm. He hit me in the stomach with a punch, and I flew back. I then swung Vulpeus downward, hitting Kuja in the face. He shook it off, grabbing Vulpeus and swinging. He flung me toward the stands, but I recovered quickly.

"You can't beat me," said Kuja. He used Mega Flare again, but I used Barrier. I wasn't feeling good about the battle.

I had to beat Kuja. I lifted Vulpeus, casting Lightga. This did something to Kuja, but he was still in good condition. He shot a laser beam at me, blasting me back.

"Lucem!" said Rinoa, running to me.

"Rinoa, no!" I shouted, and Kuja turned on her. I ran toward her as Kuja blasted her with another Mega Flare. I hugged her close, prepared for the end.

Nothing came. I looked up and saw Zidane blocking the attack. He was different. He had pink hair and fur. He looked even more like a monkey.

"Leave 'em alone, Kuja!" shouted Zidane. He rushed at Kuja, delivering a flurry of blurred slashes. Not even Kuja could dodge them all, but he didn't seem to be all that effective. He continued to swing, and the two began to glide upward.

"Zidane!" called Rinoa.

"Rinoa!" he said. "It'll be okay! I'll be back someday!" said Zidane. He charged at Kuja one last time, and the two vanished in a flash of light.

"And so, here is the new champion of the Games...by default," said Phil, handing me the trophy. I took it, and sighed.

"So, not only did I not find my friends, but I also lost Zidane," I said.

"Don't worry. You'll find your friends. And, as for Zidane… He promised he'd be back," Rinoa told me.

"Rinoa, how do you always know how to cheer people up?" I asked.

"I've had experience with sadness," said Rinoa.

"Don't worry. I'm sure that everything will be fine," I said. "But what'll you do?"

"I'll be able to take care of myself," said Rinoa. I turned to walk away.

"Are you going to find your friends?" asked Rinoa. I nodded.

"Good luck!" she shouted after me as I left the arena.

A/N: OMG, that was so long. It took me a long time to work out the details for this chapter. But, luckily, it's done! So here you go. And, next time, we get Lilo and Stitch. "But Hikari," I hear you saying. "By this point, Stitch has left Deep Space." And you're right. But I've got a pleasant surprise in store. So, I'll she you next time.


End file.
